(San Diego, CA) -- Calling it " ...the equivalent of Nature for
the field of bioethics, in that it covers critical issues from a wide range
of biomedical sciences and is cited frequently in the peer-reviewed literature,"
the Council of Editors of Learned Journals (CELJ) selected the American
Journal of Bioethics (AJOB), based in the Department of Medical Ethics
at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and published
by MIT Press, as 'Best New Journal' for 2003. This prestigious award, which
was announced at CEIJ's annual meeting in San Diego this week, was awarded to
AJOB from among more than 200 entries submitted by more than 50 presses, as
the most outstanding new journal by its peer jury.

AJOB was singled out for its technological and scholarly innovation. It is the
first journal ever reviewed, according to CELJ reviewers, which involves 'a
level of interdisciplinary interaction in the production of a paper and online
journal.' The American Journal of Bioethics has daily updates, free
articles, a book review archive, a job-search service, and dozens of other innovative
online services in addition to the MIT Press paper edition. It carried more
than 150 articles in the three years since its inception, most of which were
published by senior scholars or rising new talent, and many of which were singled
out for their innovation in the field of bioethics.

The Journal was also praised for its strong policy on conflict of
interest, which one reviewer termed "... the strongest I have ever seen
- stronger than anything suggested by any panel ... ." Journal
Editor-in-Chief Glenn McGee, PhD, explains, "Under AJOB's
policy, editorial conflicts of interest as well as peer reviewer conflicts of
interest, including mandatory disclosure of all sources of income by all members
of the editorial staff, are regularly subject to review." McGee, who is
an Assistant Professor in Penn's Department of Medical Ethics continues, "In
addition, the Journal maintains its conflict of interest disclosure policy on
both the MIT and Penn AJOB websites."

According to CELJ award guidelines, the selected new journal must be in publication
no more than five years. Entries are submitted in dozens of disciplines and
areas of study by scholarly presses which are members or whose editors are elected
members of CELJ.

The American Journal of Bioethics is the first journal edited at Penn
to win this award.

The editorial offices of The American Journal of Bioethics have been
based at Penn's Center for Bioethics since the founding of the Journal
in 2001 by McGee and associate editor David Magnus, PhD, formerly of Penn and
now of Stanford University. Master of Bioethics student Kelly Carroll is Executive
Managing Editor of the Journal. Electronic Media Editor is John Kwon
(MSE '00). Book Review Editor is Mark Aulisio, PhD, of Case Western Reserve
University School of Medicine, and Special Features Editor is Paul Root Wolpe,
PhD, also of Penn.

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The American Journal of Bioethics may be found online at www. bioethics.net

PENN Medicine is a $2.2 billion enterprise dedicated to the
related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality
patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School
of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school) and
the University of Pennsylvania Health System (created in 1993 as the nation’s
first integrated academic health system).

Penn’s School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH
research funds; and ranked #4 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s
most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400
fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide
for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists
and leaders of academic medicine.

Penn Health System consists of four hospitals (including its flagship Hospital
of the University of Pennsylvania, consistently rated one of the nation’s
“Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report), a faculty
practice plan, a primary-care provider network, three multispecialty satellite
facilities, and home health care and hospice.